Al-Awlaki strike plan included jets, special ops

(CBS News) 

WASHINGTON - U.S. military and intelligence forces have been tracking Anwar al-Awlaki for years. On Friday, they found him and killed him.

Awlaki, who apparently inspired the Fort Hood major who killed 13 service members and whose ties to al Qaeda may go back as far as the 9/11 hijackers, was tracked down leaving a funeral in Yemen and killed by a rocket fired from a U.S. drone aircraft.

Who was Anwar al-Awlaki?

CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports the hunt for Awlaki was code-named "Objective Troy" and had been in high gear for months.

A CIA drone finally got him, but that was only the tip of a much larger military operation. Missiles fired by the drone took out Awlaki's vehicle. That made the American-born cleric the first U.S citizen to be targeted and killed as a terrorist.

A senior defense official said, "a very bad man just had a very bad day."

President Obama seemed to have no qualms about Awlaki's American roots. "Awlaki was the leader of external operations for al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula," Mr. Obama said after Friday's attack. "In that role, he took the lead in planning and directing efforts to murder innocent Americans."

Obama: Awlaki death a "Major blow" to terror

Samir Khan, another American member of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and two passengers were also killed. But Awlaki was the main target. He had narrowly escaped an earlier drone strike the week after the Bin Laden raid, and this time the U.S. was taking no chances.

His hideout in a remote Yemeni town was under continuous surveillance and the pattern of his daily routine monitored.

Harrier jets flying from an amphibious carrier off the coast were ready to take a shot if the CIA drone missed. There was even an option for sending in Marine Ospreys with Special Operations Forces to collect any intelligence left after the strike, but that was never used. It was all part of a secret buildup which has occurred in and around Yemen as that country emerged as home to one of al Qaeda's most active branches.

"This is further proof that al Qaeda and its affiliates will find no safe haven anywhere in the world," Mr. Obama said.

Since the bin Laden raid last May, the U.S. has killed seven other senior al Qaeda operatives in Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. Awlaki is number 8.

[Leaderless]

The braved men and women who did the hard work to eliminate these terrorist was basically ignored by the obama worshipers.
They acted like obama is running the whole operations himself using his vast military experience. We are grateful that obama wasn't abled to released terrorists from Guantanamo to kill more Americans.
Congratulations to our military, to be successful despites of obama. The election is coming up so our troops can expect a visit from obama for an photo-op.....in between his vacations that is.....

[daffy64]

Congrats to their Commander in Chief.

And try to show less jealousy, Leaderless. Yer turning' green.

[Leaderless]

skyk1, you really made me laugh with your chicanery.
Aren't you part of the HATER? Comments about GWB should be enough evidence......
Lying to yourself is no way to go thru life, your farcical self-serving diatribes highlight the dillusions.

daffy64, "their" commander in chief is fish food months ago thanks to our Special Forces, he won't be able to receive your congrats!
And what is there to be jealous about?

[HdMorph]

The First Amendment (Amendment I) to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering with the right to peaceably assemble or prohibiting the petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.

One man's terrorest is another man's freedom fighter.
This man was a U.S. citizen, just because he did not worship like our government liked so they killed him.
Did not Hitler use the same tactics before,
God save America.

[nfirm]

I agree with skyk1, any US citizen who threatens to commit a violent crime or attempts to incite a violent crime should be executed without trial. If citizens don't want to follow our laws, those who enforce our laws shouldn't have to follow laws either.

Anyone else find it interesting that the US made a deal with a country currently getting negative attention for human rights issues so we could use their airspace to violate our own Constitution (and agreements made during the Geneva Conventions)?

[JRC_903]

An old saying goes like this "do you need my help, or is it hard enough alone?" Well.. I hope congress,especially congressional republicans don't attempt to ask President if he needs their help dealing with these terrorists. The constitution dictates that congress must "help" president on domestic issues like finance etc---but thank GOD they have no such options (for HELPING) when it comes to military matters. Can anyone else see the connection between the things the president has succeeded at, and the things he has DONE himself. That is, without having to ask them for their obviously "unbiased truly pro-American" opinion. etc.

[nfirm]

Obama has seen far more success in this realm than Bush. Bush only managed to not wait for Congress (and ignore US law and the Geneva Conventions) to authorize torture. On the other hand, Obama has managed to take it to the next level and actually ordered the deaths of US citizens in a non-war zone without trial.

I'm not saying that Awlaki wasn't scum of the earth... It is a shame that the ideals that supposedly defined our nation can be so easily brushed aside. It's nice to see that most Americans, no matter their political leanings, seem to be so quick to applaud each step our leadership takes backwards towards those to which we claim to be morally superior.

[nfirm]

And FYI, the constitution does not dictate "that congress must help the president on domestic issues like finance" as you say. The constitution dictates that we have 3 branches of government that have equal but different powers. Congress sets policy, the Supreme Courts interpret law, and the Executive branch enforces law. Unfortunately, too many people believe as you do (including some of our Presidents)... That the President has the power to set, interpret, and enforce law.

[DebbieCorona]

Like it or not Obama is doing what Bush could not and chose not to do.

[JRC_903]

I am proud as as can be for the way Obama has taken this war to the enemy. It is regrettable that people have to die.. but it was the path they set out on. While it is true then when the books on this conflict are written---it will be the predator/hell-fire missiles that were the gating factor--they would,however, have been useless if the leader of the USA was trying to prolong this conflict (for obvious reasons) BY NOT using them. Indeed, these weapons existed before 2009, yet they were not employed on this scale. Wonder why that was? History will be quite cruel to those who almost succeeded in weaselling defect from the jaws of victory. Yet--- the truth is that no matter how many terrorist we kill now--- it will be years before we recover from the victory handed to us(indirectly) by GW BUSH--As the guy who revenged the destruction of a 2 bILLON dollar skyscraper and 3000 dead people by starting a war that cost us 4 BILLON PER MONTH and lasted 10 years---and cost the lives of nearly 6000 Americans and 100-200K other people.

[anneshelby]

Now to take care of tea party republican terrorist in our own congress.

[dknelson353]

you are such a loser...can't wait to see you putting a tea party bumper sticker on your car after the next election....

[KayKay72]

It is shocking to see how CBS and CNN and PMSNBC have really dummed down the useful idiots. Bush gave up? The war in Iraq was a distraction? Do you morons realize that without the intelligence we gain via the war in Iraq and without our bases there none of these missions would even be possible? Just like all good liberals, Obama is maximizing off the tough decisions a Republican president made during his tenure. It is almost laughable.

[nolalou]

hahaha, now that would be funny if thousands of American's hadn't died due to his folly! Give me a break!

[tdbhavsar]

Great job US.. Keep it up kill all Al-Queda fellows and make world free from terror.

[dknelson353]

Well said! I agree!

[anneshelby]

Unlike Congress, the president is doing his job. And unlike congress he is regaining America's trust. His approval ratings are going back up. While republicans in congress continue to obstruct the jobs bill, while offering not one single bill to stimulate job growth, their approval ratings will remain where they belong, at the lowest of lows. Republican idea of job growth is to give big business more of our taxes and cut regulations so big business can make more profit while tax payers pay for the environmental damage they do. Corporate greed is destroying America.

[KayKay72]

Anne, can you tell me where in the Constitution the federal government or the president of the United States is mandated or given the authority to stimulate job growth? Corporate greed is not destroying America. Our government is and until they get out of the way our country will continue to spiral downward.

[myopinionpal]

Al Qaeda leaders have to be some of the dumbest people alive or were alive.They make stupid videos of themselves and put their face on TV for all the world to see now we have a face for the drones to take out if I were going to get you I would not go on TV and give you any warning.

[dknelson353]

What do you expect from a bunch of goat herding wack jobs!

[myopinionpal]

Al Qaeda leaders have to be some dumbest people alive or were alive.They make stupid videos of themselves and put their face on TV for all the world to see now we have a face for the drones to take out if I were going to get you I would not go on TV and give you any warning.